Margaret Beckett, English metallurgist and politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was born on January 15, 1943.

Dame Margaret Mary Beckett is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby South since 1983. A member of the Labour Party, she became Britain's first female Foreign Secretary in 2006 and served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Tony Blair throughout his tenure. Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1992 to 1994, she briefly served as Leader of the Opposition and acting Leader of the Labour Party following John Smith's death.